


Wild Waves

by Fox_155



Category: NCT (Band), WAYV
Genre: Alternate Universe - Merpeople, Ambiguous/Open Ending, Falling In Love, Fishing, Fluff, Homophobia, M/M, Magic, Nature, Past Character Death, Sexual Content, Strangers to Lovers, historical setting, possibly even sad ending not sure yet
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2021-03-17
Updated: 2021-03-24
Packaged: 2021-03-26 15:08:40
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 2
Words: 5,598
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/30107859
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Fox_155/pseuds/Fox_155
Summary: The storm washes someone onto the landing stage of Sicheng’s home. Someone quite peculiar and strange who helps to bring happiness into the house that has felt empty for years.
Relationships: Dong Si Cheng | WinWin/Chittaphon Leechaiyapornkul | Ten
Comments: 10
Kudos: 26





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> I don't own any of the people and this story isn't by any means an accurate representation of the people by whom it is inspired by.
> 
> I love merfolks so much, but writing stories with them isn’t something that comes easy to me – so I’m even more delighted to not only bring you merfolk but also the WinTen I’ve been wanting to write for years now!! This is definitely inspired by the best cover dance of all times - Lovely.  
> I haven't yet written the ending, but it definitely won't be a typical happily ever after. I also attemptec a more melancholic tone for this fic - not sure how well that worked.
> 
> TW: There will be many mentions of death in this fic, please proceed with caution!

The sea was angry today.

“Dong, what am I supposed to serve my customers? Love and air?”

It was always the same. The anger usually blew over like a storm when Sicheng kept quiet, just how a storm was best spent on land.

“I’ll look for someone else to get my seafood from, I told you before.”

Sicheng knew, he remembered similar words from the last time when he had shown up empty-handed.

It wasn’t like he enjoyed that or did it on purpose. He needed the money as much as his customers needed their orders. He had bills to pay and needed to feed himself. He didn’t like fish or crabs, nothing that lived in the sea at all. It was connected to too much negative for him to enjoy.

“Fine, whatever, you better have it tomorrow!”

“It depends on the sea.”

The man scoffed and waved him off. Sicheng hated the dismissive gestures, but he knew he’d not change his behaviour even if he said something, so he didn’t.

He still had two more places on his list.

“Hey, Sicheng!”

He jerked around from where he had been about to leave. A head poked from the storage room, hair pushed back with a band, lips blue from the cold of the room in which he must have been working.

“Hey, Yangyang.”

“Some mean waves today, right? I saw it in the morning.”

Yangyang grinned as Sicheng nodded.

“Ay, so talkative, again. How are you doing?”

Sicheng felt himself smile. Yangyang was working the lowest of the low jobs, but he managed to be bright and optimistic every day regardless. It was like a boost of energy with two legs.

“Fine, other than getting yelled at.”

“Yeah, I thought about you because of the weather. Is your house fine? Boat?”

Sicheng nodded again even though Yangyang rolled his eyes.

“Maybe they’ll wash a treasure ashore and we can stop worrying about people that yell at us!”

It was a cute idea and Sicheng chuckled because only a landlubber would believe that the sea held treasures that’d have the same value ashore as they had in the ocean.

What was rare and admirable in the water wouldn’t pay anyone’s bills on land.

“Still waiting for a mermaid, personally. The guys at the bar talked about them last night. They said the king of them must be angry and bring bad weather.”

Now it was Sicheng’s turn to roll his eyes. Everyone knew the sailors yarned over too much beer, but Yangyang kept falling for their stories. He was just three years younger than Sicheng, but still blue-eyed in many regards. Sicheng didn’t have many people he was close to, he felt some sort of protectiveness over Yangyang. After all, he had no one else anymore, having lost his family. Something Sicheng related to more than he wished.

“What? It’s totally possible,” Yangyang poked his tongue out.

“Sure. Mermaids, who have a king? Makes sense.”

“ _Queen_.”

“Not my point.”

“Still a good one.”

Sicheng shrugged. Of course, he knew the stories about creatures in the depth of the sea. From humongous sharks, Kraken, to mermaids, people believed a lot of things and Sicheng was wary to deny them when he had no proof, but he also never sailed far out. Most of these things originated from long trips, long trips where instead of water, people drank mostly wine.

“I have to get going. See you around!”

“Guess I also still have to chop a lot of veggies, so. See ya!”

When the sea was angry, they weren’t spared ashore.

Sicheng had a thick jacket and he diligently renewed the layer of wax to keep the water out, but as he headed home, the cold and wet weather had crept through his clothes. He had to get yarn for a new pullover before winter came.

His house sat on top of the hill, overviewing both the village and the sea to the other side. Stairs led right down to his landing stage, built by his grandparents’ generation and well-maintained. The Dongs had always been fishers.

On the other side of the village was another hill, on which the light tower sat. Sicheng guessed he should stop by and visit soon, but with the weather as bad as it was, he couldn’t be bothered to leave the house again. The sun had no power against the storm clouds, so he struck a match and lit the lamps in the living room.

He had planned to read, but with the light as bad as it was, he couldn’t find it in himself.

His kitchen needed cleaning. He could cure the cabbages he had bought yesterday. It had been a while since he had swept the floors.

Sicheng collected his cleaning bucket and placed it on the porch so it could fill up with rainwater. It was easiest to use that and it was clean enough for the floors.

He didn’t mind housework. With just one person living in a house easily big enough for ten, it was a little much, but since Sicheng only used a few rooms, he mainly focused on keeping those clean and just maintained the others. He didn’t want the house to wear down, but he also didn’t think it was reasonable to always have all the beds dressed as if he was expecting visitors when he never had any.

Maybe he should attend the monthly meeting in town next time? It was a half-hour ride away and he’d have to pay for the carriage and food, but maybe there’d be someone he liked there?

If he was honest, he already knew it’d be a waste of money. If at all, his eyes would get stuck on the handsome gentlemen again. It’d be easiest if he found a lady who felt similarly, as in, she liked women, but Sicheng couldn’t outright look for someone like that when his attraction was not something he could even say loudly. He wasn’t even sure that these types of women existed with certainty, he simply concluded that from his own experience.

He took a moment to look outside, see how the weather had developed over the last hours. The sun was sinking, making it even gloomier, but the winds were calming down. Sicheng expected another night of storming, but he hoped to set out tomorrow.

Just to make sure, before the sun fully set, he looked down where his boat was tied to the stage, merrily bouncing on the waves that reached the bay, still much more forceful than they usually would be but mostly harmless. Everything was normal.

Wait!

Sicheng blinked, rubbed his eyes, and looked again, but he had seen correctly.

There, on the wooden planks, something was sitting.

Through the heavy rain and from so far away, he was barely able to recognise the blotch as a person, but it was rather clear that was what it had to be.

The bay was isolated, only accessible by boat, the cliffs keeping it safe from curious eyes and anyone not meaning well. The only other way was down the stairs, but those were protected by a high fence and lock to which only Sicheng had the key.

He grabbed his binoculars to get a clearer view.

With the added help, it was unmistakable that it was a person sitting in the rain. It almost looked like their torso was bare and Sicheng shuddered at the idea of the autumn storm hitting his naked skin.

He was a loner and not too unhappy, but Sicheng cared about people.

He couldn’t just leave them there!

Determined, he grabbed a blanket off his sofa and shrugged his still drying raincoat back on. For a second, he considered taking his lamp, but it wasn’t that late yet – he would be fine without.

He left the door unlocked. It wasn’t like crime was an issue in a village as small as this, mainly, the locks kept animals out.

The rain would have made normal stairs slippery, but Sicheng’s ancestors had taken the weather and their surroundings into accord when they had built these, keeping the surface uneven and allowing the leather of his shoes to cling to them. Sicheng still held onto the rope on the side as he hurried down, worry and curiosity pushing him.

As he reached the bottom of the stairs, the landing stage became closer and the person was still sitting on its end, curled up, probably freezing.

“Hey! You!” Sicheng called. The rain had started to soak the blanket even though he had tried to keep it dry. He took the last stairs and crossed the small slip of grass before he was already on the wet wood. The wind was whistling loudly, probably having drowned his call out.

He tried again.

“Hey! You, over there!”

He was already so close, he had recognised the broadness of the shoulders that slimmed without any curves, lined with muscle, as male.

He was heard and the guy turned around, surprised.

“Hey, are you okay? Why are you here? Are you planning to freeze to death? Or…” Sicheng eyed the sea. It was becoming dark, not masking how dangerous it was. It’d be a quick end. That was the comfort every sailor had in their fear of one day going overboard and not getting back onto their ship.

The guy gasped for air, pushing the hair from his forehead. It was soaked and stuck where he had pushed it. He seemed like he wanted to say something, but no words came out. It seemed to surprise him and he furrowed his brows, hand coming up to his mouth, touching his lips. He tried again, but, once more, nothing.

“Maybe come inside?” Sicheng asked. He looked surprisingly fine, but he didn’t think it was a good idea to leave him out here. The state he was in was reason enough to worry because not just his torso was bare, he had not a single piece of clothing on his body. Topped off with his apparent state of confusion, Sicheng guessed he needed help urgently.

“Here. Um.” Sicheng held the blanket out and the other stared at it as if he had never seen a blanket in his life before.

Without further ado, Sicheng unfolded it and wrapped it around the stranger’s shoulders.

It seemed like he understood it now and took the edges from Sicheng to hold together, however, he was still sitting on the planks, not showing any signs of moving.

“Um.”

The stranger eyed him curiously. He had pretty eyes, very pretty. Sicheng didn’t think he had seen a shape like them before, sharp, creasing when he looked up.

“Get up?”

He held out a hand and it was taken. So at least he understood him, right?

Or not because the stranger now inspected his hand, turning to back and forth, running a finger over the scars that laced it from years of working.

It sent pricking over Sicheng’s skin and he cleared his throat.

“It’s cold. You should get inside and warm up. Yeah.”

The stranger stopped his exploration of Sicheng’s limbs and attempted to speak again, yet no success. It must frustrate him if his expression souring was anything to go by. Sicheng understood, he’d be annoyed as well.

Finally, he seemed to actually follow Sicheng’s request. Using his hand, he pulled himself up, however, his legs gave right back out like a newborn lamb. Stubbornly, he tried again and Sicheng instinctually reached out, trying to help him. At the third try, he finally got himself into a standing position and looked up with a huge beam on. He was really cute, just as much as he was extremely strange.

“Good?” Sicheng tried. The stranger nodded and promptly lost balance and fell into the next puddle on the stage.

In the end, Sicheng pulled him onto his back. It was unsafe, but the only other option was leaving him in the cold rain and Sicheng couldn’t have that, so he very carefully hiked up the stairs while the stranger seemed it was a good opportunity to explore Sicheng’s hair, the seams of his jacket, the shirt under his jacket, and basically everything he could reach while still holding on with one hand.

It must have taken at least three times as long as the stairs normally took and Sicheng’s legs were burning by the time he finally reached the last one.

Like he had several times on their way up, he fished a much too curious hand from where it had dipped under his clothes.

“Can I set you down?”

The arms suddenly closed around his shoulders, clinging on tight.

“Okay. Um. Hold on? I have to open the gate and, um, door.”

He felt a nod against his shoulder.

Carefully, he let go of where he had supported the stranger’s leg around his waist and unlocked the gate, pushing it open and walking through. For not being able to stand, he certainly had a lot of strength in his legs.

Wordlessly, Sicheng locked up and made his way over to his house. His hood had moved and rain trickled into his jacket, but the effort of climbing the stairs meant he was wet from sweating regardless.

He couldn’t wait to get out of the clothes and cool off.

However…

“Um… can you get down now?”

Sicheng stood in his entrance hall, dripping, but unable to undress with the stranger still stuck to his back.

A shake of the head.

“I have to take my jacket off. I’ll help you?”

No answer for a few seconds, then, the legs released and Sicheng hurriedly reached out. He jerked away when he felt skin, but he couldn’t think about that too much right now. This situation asked for unusual measures. With a bit of wobbling, he got the stranger onto two legs and detached from his arm. He clung to the dresser now and the blanket was barely keeping him decent, but it was just as soaking wet as his hair now, providing no warmth at all.

Sicheng hurried to take his jacket off, his shoes, his scarf.

The stranger was observing him without a hint of shame and Sicheng guessed there was nothing to be ashamed of per se, but people didn’t usually do this.

He cleared his throat and opened the door to the living room, which seemed to greatly surprise his guest. That was cute again.

“Welcome?”

The stranger beamed, apparently delighted to be welcome, then held out a hand, demandingly. Sicheng guessed he’d need support to walk and he offered it, expecting things to be normal, however, the stranger took one step and found himself on the floor again.

Sicheng couldn’t hold his laughter this time and the look of desperation he received only added to the hilariousness of the situation.

“I’m sorry. You’re so dorky. Like a foal.”

The stranger wordlessly asked, but Sicheng didn’t understand what confused him, so he just held out his hand to pick him back up.

With a few more crashes, they got him onto a chair in the kitchen, where Sicheng made him wait and hurried to get him some clothes. He expected him to explore everything within reaching distance, but at least he wouldn’t get anywhere, so Sicheng hoped his valuables were safe.

It was quite the peculiar guest to have…


	2. Chapter 2

Getting his guest into clothes took much more times than anticipated. Not only was walking an issue, dressing also was. It was as though the man had never worn anything and he kept tugging on the collar, on the sleeves, scratching his legs and shaking himself like he hated the feeling of fabric on his skin.

Sicheng had to keep him from stripping several times until he had made it clear that this society expected humans to be dressed and the stranger had nodded with a slightly dejected expression.

It had been quite heartbreaking.

“Do you have a name?”

Sicheng had hung up the blanket to dry and all forgotten about his bucket of rainwater to clean with, the stranger taking up all his attention.

While he couldn’t talk, like his voice was lost, he did understand Sicheng, which was very helpful in the grand scheme of things.

His eyes were really pretty, Sicheng internally noted again when he found himself fixed by them. Sharp like a shark’s fins and a very dark brown, almost black.

The stranger nodded excitedly, mouthing what must be his name.

Sicheng tried to make sense of it.

“Line?”

The other’s face fell so quickly, it was comical. Apparently not, if the shocked expression was anything to go by.

He shook his head wildly, confirming that Sicheng had misunderstood, then repeated himself.

“Time?”

More shaking, wild gestures. Okay, well, yeah, ‘time’ meant you had to close your lips.

“I’m sorry, this is really difficult.”

The stanger nodded, appeased, and patted Sicheng’s hand, then tried again.

“Win? Fin? Sen? Ten?”

The stranger clapped, then started shaking Sicheng’s shoulder.

Ten? Like the number?

That was cute. Fun and short. It fit.

However, before Sicheng could peacefully commit the name to memory, he already found a sharp finger pressed into his sternum and the stranger was suddenly almost in his face, staring curiously.

“My name?”

Nodding. This was getting easier already.

“I’m Sicheng.”

He saw Ten mouthing the name. He was tugging on his collar again. Sicheng worried the shirt would rip at some point from the abuse it was being put through. It was an old one and fit somewhat poorly on Ten, but his body shape was very different from Sicheng’s. He was lucky he still had all the clothes he had worn over the course of his childhood, stacked away in the many rooms he didn’t use, but he still would rather they stayed in good condition.

Just in case he’d ever have any children to dress.

It seemed like sitting had already gotten boring again and Ten attempted to get up.

Immediately, Sicheng was hovering to catch him and not a second too late when Ten’s legs wouldn’t behave the way he desired and he went down, almost knocking his head.

The smile he got was sheepish. Sicheng felt a bit bad that Ten couldn’t do what he wanted to, but he was very adorable when he tried.

“Have you always had trouble walking?” Sicheng asked because he was curious.

Ten sighed deeply. It was barely audible, just a rush of air like there were no vocal cords at all.

When he looked up, Sicheng almost melted at the puppy eyes he made.

“If it’s too personal, I’m sorry,” he corrected himself, unsure how to proceed.

Ten shook his head, then started nibbling on his lower lip. After a few seconds, he came to a realisation and started slapping Sicheng’s arm again. That was a pattern.

Paper and pet, Sicheng concluded from Ten’s wild gestures.

Right!

Excited by the idea, he jumped up and rummaged through the drawers of his desk, getting as many coloured pencils as he could find and the stack of old bills that he kept for situations like this. There was space left on the paper and it would be ridiculously wasteful to throw it out.

Not like there had ever been such a situation before, but being prepared always paid off, just like it did now!

Ten started scribbling and Sicheng’s initial excitement immediately burnt out.

He had never seen these letters before. They were elegant, curling around themselves, but they were not what Sicheng, the village, the town, the country used.

“Ten, um, I can’t read that.”

Ten paused and looked up, face offended.

“I write differently,” Sicheng muttered and Ten realised he had not gotten insulted for his handwriting, Sicheng couldn’t even judge if it was chicken scratch or calligraphy.

However, Ten looked much more upset by the realisation and Sicheng’s heart sunk. This had to be difficult, after all, Ten was clearly somewhere he had never been before, possibly lost, unable to move, and now this brilliant way to communicate was also locked for him.

Shaking his head, Ten started to draw.

Sicheng scooted closer, watching.

Those were waves, the ocean. Fish, mermaids and … mermen? Someone with a crown.

Was it a fairy tale?

What good would that be?

Then, a Kraken.

Sicheng considered interrupting and asking what Ten wanted him to do with that, but he refrained because it certainly must be important if Ten was drawing it. Ten realised just as much as he that this situation was dire.

Ten circled one of the merfolk next to the queen he had drawn, then pointed at himself.

Sicheng looked at the paper, then at Ten.

What was he trying to say?

Apparently, Ten had taken that as understanding and carried on, using a new page where he started to draw up an entire action scene in which the Kraken tore down a rather beautiful castle.

Finally, Ten drew a figure being washed onto Sicheng’s landing stage.

So…?

Ten kept drawing and Sicheng watched, but it remained rather puzzling.

Sicheng had missed the point to ask, long ago actually, so he just kept watching as Ten went on.

During dinner, Sicheng started to wonder if that had maybe been a mistake.

He should have asked.

“Um…”

Ten looked up from where he had been mixing the vegetables for seconds now – one chopstick in each hand.

“Don’t you like it?”

Ten blinked and then put one chopstick aside and used his hand to scoop up some of the vegetables, putting them into his mouth surprisingly gracefully.

Sicheng had heard other places used different tools to eat, forks, knives, but he didn’t own any. Ten might come from such a place, after all, his name was foreign – and everything else about him, too, if Sicheng was completely honest.

Ten’s expression turned from sceptical to amazed.

He started nodding, then took another bite, giving Sicheng a thumb up.

Well.

Sicheng guessed there was no harm in Ten using his hand to eat, was there? He might ask about where he was from another time.

When Sicheng came into the kitchen to have his morning coffee, the radio was already turned on, greeting him with music in the living room.

The weather had improved, but they very rarely got sun here. Rainy Rocks was a name meant literally.

Sicheng hummed under his breath. He loved music, his mother had taught him dancing when he had been little and he had continued to practice all his life – when he had time.

Behind the counter stood Ten and Sicheng nearly screamed because he had forgotten there was another person in the house.

Then he nearly screamed because Ten was handling a big knife while standing up.

Ten seemed unbothered and not like he shared serious worries about whether or not he’d survive whatever he was making.

Instead, he waved – with the knife.

“H-hey, good morning, um. Be careful? What are you doing here? Don’t you want to sit down and let me…”

Sicheng found himself pushed away from the counter.

Okay, apparently not.

“Is that, um, breakfast?” Sicheng tried sneaking up again.

Ten nodded.

“Oh, that looks good!”

Ten looked up with a brilliant beam and Sicheng forgot what he was doing here for a second. He was very pretty, the wide smile only accentuating that. His eyes turned into cute little crescents.

“I’ll make tea. Do you want any?” Confusion. Maybe Ten didn’t know tea? “It’s a drink. You can just try it. I have to leave in about half an hour. For work.” Even more confusion. “Um. Yeah, I’m a fisher.”

Ten clutched the knife, looking downright horrified as if he hadn’t washed up on Sicheng’s landing stage yesterday.

Or maybe _because_?

Perhaps the soothing knowledge that you’d immediately drown wasn’t so true, after all? Had Ten been on one of the big ships that were hunting whales or bringing goods from far away places to the rich cities? Perhaps last night’s story had been connected to that?

Sicheng wasn’t sure how to ask and he didn’t have time to attempt that now.

“I’ll be back by the evening. I have to check all my traps. I, um, I focus on seafood. Lobsters, crabs, these things. It’s something you can do well alone. I check everything and then head to the main port to have it taxed once and then I deliver it to the merchant and the restaurants in town. It takes a bit.”

Ten took two shaky, but much steadier, steps towards him – knife still in hand.

He shook his head.

“Do you want to come with? Or do you need to leave?”

More shaking. Ten said something, but no sound came out and he stomped his foot in frustration, squeezing his eyes shut.

“I invited you to stay, so you’re welcome to. I have to work to pay bills, though. Because of the storm, I missed yesterday’s delivery. Sorry for leaving you alone."

Ten looked very upset by the news, but there was really nothing Sicheng could do about it. He glanced out the window again. The weather was rather nice. Today would be an easy day.

“There are no storm clouds, so you don’t need to worry.”

Don’t worry, don’t be scared, was what his father had always told little-him, years, no, decades ago.

Fear was a lousy companion, yet she always wanted to join him.

When he had been little, Sicheng had not even understood why he should fear the sea. A fisher shouldn’t, but they should respect it – a lesson every child had to learn.

For Sicheng, he had learnt it through going overboard when he had been thoughtless, already aged 13 and learning the trade he’d take over, come time. He knew his father could have kept it from happening, how he had the many times before, but he had used the opportunity to teach Sicheng.

If the winds and currents were bad, it was easy to get ripped away from your boat. In the cold waters, strength would quickly leave even a strong swimmer, soaked clothes pulling them down.

The sea was deadly, sometimes obviously so, sometimes unexpectedly and silently. Respecting her was every sailor’s best chance of survival.

Yet, all too easily did fear eat away at respect, at reason, at focus, leaving just madness.

Ten had pulled a sheet from where they had left them. He was so much more balanced. Last night, Sicheng had had to almost carry him to the room he could use for now.

He must be a determined man, Sicheng guessed. He might have practised all night until his legs did what they were supposed to. It was impressive. Sicheng wondered what more Ten was hiding, what more he’d find out.

Usually, he heard what people told him, believed it, but with Ten, he had to observe and conclude.

Onto the paper, Ten drew a small boat, waves, then the Kraken again.

“Those aren’t real.” Sicheng soothed. He was rather confident about that – contrary to most sea folk, he wasn’t superstitious.

Ten raised an eyebrow. ‘Are you fucking kidding me’, his expression said, as clear as if he had spoken the words.

“I already couldn’t go yesterday. I don’t make much money; there’s only so much you can catch in a day when you’re alone.”

Sicheng didn’t even want to discuss this.

He liked the sea. He knew her, at least as well as she let anyone understand her. She, too, had secrets, more than Ten could ever have.

Still, it wasn’t how it used to be. Not since that day that had changed everything.

Finally understanding or giving up, Ten nodded, deflating a bit. He twisted the pencil he was holding and finally went back to draw some more. Arrows that pointed into the boat. Then one out, that he crossed violently.

He looked up.

“Don’t go into the water?” Sicheng guessed and Ten nodded. “I never do.”

“Ah, Dong, did you wimp out yesterday?”

Sicheng stared at the scale. He had pulled seven lobsters from his traps, about 7 kg. That was a huge catch – too big for the small village. Only one restaurant even bought the expensive animals from him, but they needed no more than three a day. No one travelled here to feast on delicious food, it wasn’t that beautiful a place to visit.

He earned far less when he sold them to the merchant, only about 10 Dreams per lobster, less if they were lighter, more if they were heavier than a kilogram. Each already cost him 1 Dream in tax the second he stepped foot on land.

Still, it added up. By the end of the day, he had almost made up yesterday’s lost income.

“Oh, Sicheng! Long time no see!” A familiar figure greeted from the shop on the corner he had to turn.

“Two days.”

“Longer than usually,” Dejun grinned. “You took yesterday off, didn’t you?”

Sicheng nodded. The Xiaos sold lamps of every size, oil, gas, electric. Sicheng’s house lacked the connection to the town’s electric cable, but so did about half the houses. They only opened in the afternoon, the mornings were spent looking after their customers, wherever they were. Some were those houses much farther from the busier main streets than Sicheng’s was, requiring them to take the horse to get there to repair and maintain lamps.

“I heard it was bad, so bad the deep sea’s secrets washed ashore.”

Sicheng laughed.

“You’ve been gossiping again? I haven’t seen any secrets in my bay.”

Dejun smiled, shrugging.

“Maybe you’ve just missed that you had one?”

Sicheng pushed him by his shoulder.

“I have to go home.” Look after his guest.

“Fine. See you tomorrow, then. Check for secrets?”

Sicheng laughed but agreed.

He’d have to return to the main harbour to fetch his boat and take the trip home. He could check the tiny beach, but he was confident if anything mysterious had washed up, he would have already seen.

Sicheng was greeted by the scent of burning.

In a panic, he tore on the laces of his boots, trying to get out of them faster, cursing how well they fit. Rubber boots would be less of a hassle to get out of – but his feet would be hurting by the end of the day.

“Ten? Ten?”

He was still fighting the boots. Ten had been home, hadn’t he?

He heard feet down the hall and looked up, still fighting his shoelaces.

Ten beamed, waving a hand.

“Ten, is something burning?” Sicheng was finally able to pull the left boot off, already pushing past his guest.

Ten’s beam turned into a sheepish smile and he started to wildly gesture.

Stove? He had attempted to cook?

But Sicheng had never explained how the gas flame was lit! Quickly, he sniffed the air again, but he couldn’t pick up any gas smell – which was a relief.

“How did you…”

Sicheng didn’t finish his question because the situation he was greeted by in the kitchen was quite self-explanatory.

Where usually a clean gas flame would be lit, Ten had stacked up branches. They were black now, the wet wood unsuited for burning.

Sicheng felt a little faint, but at the same time, he was impressed. Ten had been looking for solutions – that they were far removed from the society Sicheng was used to was nothing new anymore.

“Um… okay, yeah, great, so. Did you cook anything?”

Ten nodded and stepped over to pick up a pan. He walked as if he had never done anything else and Sicheng felt even more respect – though he didn’t have time to pay it much attention because Ten was now presenting another… situation.

“Oh.”

Ten looked triumphant – and Sicheng shocked. That was rice. Uncooked rice that had been fried in a pan without oil, reduced to black crumbs.

Still, this was so peculiar, Sicheng started laughing while Ten seemed to reconsider his cooking-decisions.

“That’s certainly something new!”

Ten lightened up and put the pan aside and then suddenly he had an arm around Sicheng, pulling him down to his height and Sicheng froze in surprise as he felt Ten silently laugh against him.

He hadn’t felt this kind of touch for… very long. Since the day the storm had hit hours earlier than anticipated when his parents had still been on the sea, working – and never returned.

Noticing his reaction or lack thereof, Ten calmed down and leaned forward to look at Sicheng’s face, question clear.

He was still touching, though.

Sicheng cleared his throat.

Ten started to pull away, but he quickly reached out, wrapping his arm around Ten’s shoulders. They were broader than his height suggested, the muscle making him bigger.

There were no words to describe the feeling. It shouldn’t be like this, Sicheng knew, but he couldn’t help it.

Ten’s finger was warm against his cheek where he caught a tear.

The silence was both welcome and uncomfortable.

People didn’t cry because they were half-hugged or because their strange visitors burnt rice.

“I’m sorry.”

Ten shook his head and Sicheng tried to take a deep breath to calm down, but he instead hiccupped.

He felt Ten wrap his free around around him as well, unable to ask uncomfortable questions, but maybe not even wanting to and Sicheng held still for a second, then, finally, hugged back properly.

It was warm.

Comforting.

From the stranger he had found just yesterday and knew only the name of.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you for reading! Please let me know what you think ~
> 
> [CC](https://curiouscat.me/Fox_155)

**Author's Note:**

> Thank you for reading! Please let me know what you think!
> 
> [CC](https://curiouscat.me/Fox_155)  
> Twitter: @155Fox


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